World’s First Origami Car Unveiled – Design You Trust

World’s First Origami Car Unveiled

1

LEXUS have designed and made the Origami Car, with the help of Scales and Models. The car is made from 1700 individually cut pieces of cardboard, and will be on display at the Grand Designs Live show, at the NEC in Birmingham, England, from October 8th to 11th, 2015.

2

There’s never been a Lexus quite like it: sheet metal, glass and plastics have been set aside for the creation of a one-off, life-sized recreation of the Lexus IS…. Crafted in precision-cut card. Pushing the boundaries of design, technology and craftsmanship, this driveable, full-sized sculpture explores Lexus’s promise of Creating Amazing.

3

Comprised of some 1700 individually shaped pieces of cardboard, this origami-inspired car is a faithful replica of the Lexus IS saloon, and is produced as a celebration of the human craftsmanship skills that go into every car Lexus makes.

4

With a fully fitted interior, functioning doors, headlights and rolling wheels, the “origami” Lexus explores the design of the Lexus IS in forensic detail, and that’s not all. Thanks to an electric motor mounted on its steel and aluminium frame, it can even be driven.

5

Like the contour lines of a map, the car’s every detail has been computer scanned and divided into segments, which are then translated into reality via laser-cut sheet cardboard. Each sheet has been painstakingly fixed together, while a robust subframe supports an electric motor to provide locomotion.

6

The project’s scale and complexity meant its creation was an unprecedented undertaking for LaserCut WORKS, and Scales and Models, two London-based specialist companies with extensive experience in the design and creation of prototypes, architectural models and bespoke commissions.

7

Scales and Models company founder and director Ruben Marcos explained: “This was a very demanding job, with five people involved in the digital design, modelling, laser cutting and assembly. Just like Lexus, we were committed to producing the best possible quality.”

8

The creative process presented the team with a series of tough challenges: “The seats took a few attempts to get just right and the wheels required a lot of refining. Once we could see the physical pieces taking shape, we could identify where we needed to make improvements – as with anything, there were some elements of trial and error, but as we had all the resources we needed in-house, this made the changes easier to produce.”

9

Lexus provided the team with a digital 3D model of the IS, which was then divided into a series of principal parts, such as the main body, dashboard, seats and wheels. These were then digitally rendered in 10mm “slices” to provide the two-dimensional profiles needed for the laser cutting of each of the 1,700 sheets of 10mm-thick cardboard – supplied by packaging expert DS Smith.

10

Each layer was given its own reference number to help ensure it was assembled in the right sequence and the entire assembly was done by hand. A water-based wood glue was used, which had to be left to set for 10 minutes after each application.

11

Accuracy was vital, as changes couldn’t be made once the glue had dried. In all, the Origami Car took three months to build.

12

13
14
15
16
17
18

Via Contemporist, Sky News

If you want more awesome content, subscribe to 'Oh, Design You Trust,' our brand new Facebook page! Trust me, you won't be disappointed.

More Inspiring Stories

We Regret To Inform You That Lace Men’s Shorts Are Here For The Summer
Denture-Inspired Items by Artist Mr. Basic
Photographer Captures Abandoned Second World War Fortifications Slowly Being Reclaimed By Nature
15 Awe-Inspiring Photographs To Make You Fall In Love With The World All Over Again
Baker Creates a Stunning 6ft Cake of Father Christmas Hugging an NHS Worker in Scrubs to Thank Hospital Staff for Their Work
This Alien Face Mask Is Sure To Keep Covid At Bay
Colossal Sculptural Lights By David Trubridge Have Been Added To A Treewalk In New Zealand
This Artist Creates Gorgeous Silk Dragon Scarves
Brilliant Solutions To Problems You Never Knew Existed
This Artist Removes The Make-Up From Dolls And Turns Them Into Inspiring Real-Life Women
Maps That Will Make You Look At The World With New Eyes
This Company Creates Unusual Coffins And Urns In The Shape Of Beer And Whiskey Bottles, Guitars And In A Geometric Style
Artist Remade Her Old Typewriter Into An Octopus To Explore Higher Ideas
Who Needs Louis Vuitton When This Chicken Bag Exists?!
Giant Skeletons Emerge From A Street In Mexico City
World's First "Kitten Bar" Opens in Japan
College Student Makes Masks For The Deaf & Hard Of Hearing Community
Pants For Men Only – Penis Pants By Eldridge Cleaver In The 1970s
Educational Dentist Toys Are Terrifying
Amazing Vintage Photos Of Portuguese Women From The Azores Islands In Their Tradition Hooded Capes
So People Are Buying Inflatable Jesus Now…
Finally, "Friends" Is Getting Their Own LEGO Set
Vladislav Ociacia's Robot Renders Are Works Of Art
This Solar-Powered Ecocapsule Lets You Live Off-The-Grid Anywhere In The World